A child's experience as a patient in a pediatric intensive care unit: what we learned through their drawings and narratives

Results Forty patients (6-17 years old) were enrolled. The most common theme in 88% (n=35) of drawings was patients depicting themselves in their drawings. Of those 35 patients, 14 depicted themselves with a smile on their face; 15 drew a frown, tears or an angry expression on their face; 6 patients drew themselves as expressionless. Patient monitors were depicted in 53% (n=21) of drawings. Four out of these 21 drawings referred to the monitor alarms as “loud”, “disruptive”, “annoying” or “kept me from sleeping”. In 50% (n=20) of the drawings, IVs were represented. In all 20 of the drawings IVs were represented as negative and associated with pain and fear. In 35% (n=14) of the drawings, nurses were depicted. Twelve patients reflected their experience with the nurses as positive, 2 patients reported negative experiences. Television was reflected in the drawings of 13 patients (33%) and patients reported watching television was a “distraction” from feelings of “pain”, “fear”, “boredom” or “feeling lonely.” When asked to choose “the best thing about your PICU experience”, the PICU staff (physicians, nurses, food service provider) was the most common response (25%). The response most frequently voiced by patients (25%) when asked about “the worst thing about your PICU experience” was having an IV.